Maria Anna de Raschenau facts for kids
Maria Anna de Raschenau was an amazing Austrian composer from the 1700s. She was also a canoness, which is like a special kind of nun who dedicates her life to God and often lives in a community. She lived and worked in Vienna, a famous city in Austria. Even though she wasn't part of the noble court, she was very important in the music world of her time.
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Who Was Maria Anna de Raschenau?
Maria Anna de Raschenau was a talented musician and a religious woman. She was the choirmaster at the convent of St Jakob auf der Hülben in Vienna. This meant she was in charge of the music and the choir at the convent.
Her Musical Compositions
Maria Anna de Raschenau wrote several important musical pieces. One of her most famous works was an oratorio called Le sacre visioni di Santa Teresa. An oratorio is a large musical piece for voices and orchestra, usually telling a religious story.
The Story of Her Oratorio
The words for Le sacre visioni di Santa Teresa were written by MA Signorini. This oratorio was first performed on March 20, 1703. Imagine how exciting it must have been to hear her music for the first time!
Lost Music
Sadly, the original music for Le sacre visioni di Santa Teresa is now lost. It used to be kept in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library). However, by 1991, it could no longer be found in their records.
Other Works by Raschenau
Besides Le sacre visioni di Santa Teresa, Maria Anna de Raschenau wrote two other oratorios. She also composed two secular works. Secular means they were not religious. These pieces were written for the state, or government. We only know about these works because of the libretti (the written words) that were given out at their performances.
Female Composers of Her Time
Maria Anna de Raschenau was not the only female composer writing oratorios in her era. She was a contemporary of other talented women. These included Caterina Benedicta Grazianini, Maria Margherita Grimani, and Camilla de Rossi. Interestingly, they were all canonesses, just like Raschenau. This shows that convents were important places for women to develop their musical talents during that time.
